This invention relates to the disposing of used syringe needles in hospitals, physician offices and medical laboratories and more particularly to a safety tool of a portable nature which is particularly useful in recapping a syringe needle, and which is also useful for uncapping it in the first place. Hypodermic syringes, when uncapped, have relatively fine diameter needles which are extremely sharp, so that even the most casual contact with the skin results in penetration. With the danger today of transmitting very debilitating and fatal diseases in this manner, used syringes need to be handled with great care. However, when syringes are handled routinely in work settings, even when the utmost care is exercised, it is inevitable that accidental penetration of the skin will occur when the user is holding the needle cap in one hand and seeking to insert the needle of the syringe into the cap with the other A number of devices have been previously proposed in connection with this problem as follows:
______________________________________ 4,485,918 Mayer 4,636,201 Ambrose et al 4,573,975 Frist et al 4,659,330 Nelson et al 4,596,562 Vernon 4,664,259 Landis 4,623,336 Pedicano et al 4,717,386 Simmons ______________________________________
The foregoing prior suggestions have not, to my knowledge, met with particular success for a variety of reasons which the present invention obviates.